This behemoth locomotive is the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range (DM&IR) 2-8-8-4 “Yellowstone” which is now preserved at Two Harbors, Minnesota. Eighteen of these powerful coal burning locomotives were built between 1941 and 1943. The 2-8-8-4s were retired between 1958 and 1963 as diesel locomotives took over. Sadly, only three of the 2-8-8-4s still survive…Number 229 pictured above, Number 227 at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth, Minnesota, and Number 225 in Proctor, Minnesota.
Under the Whyte notation, a 2-8-8-4 is a steam locomotive which has two leading wheels, two sets of eight driving wheels, and a four-wheel trailing truck.
The Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range’s locomotives are among the largest steam locomotives in the world.
What were these giant locomotive used for? To haul iron ore in Minnesota. Iron ore is incredibly heavy and the DM&IR operated long trains of ore cars (one is seen below) with 115 ore cars on average. Hence the need for a locomotive that could deliver maximum power.
The 2-8-8-4 locomotives were not the fastest locomotives at the time, but they were the most powerful, and performed the job they had to do very well. I can only imagine the sight and sounds of these locomotives pulling 115 very heavy ore cars across Minnesota. I’m sure it must’ve been spectacular.
The engineering skills that produced these mammoths must have been colossal.
I can get lost for hours looking at one of these works of art.
My wife never gets the sense of history that goes with these living monuments to our past.
So I take bundles of photos – “Move along – nothing to see here”
“yes my dear”
I’ve seen that locomotive and it’s H-U-G-E! Hard to appreciate how massive from any photos.
Thanks for sharing these and reminding me when machines were still built like, well, machines!
I know just what you mean Ottoman !
How can an intelligent person look at huge model train layout and just say :
“Ok – what does it do ?”
Like casting pearls before swine !
Like getting your 15 seconds viewing the Mona Lisa and just taking photos.
Like watching the Space Station pass across the sky like a huge sparkling jewel.
“Yes – I know it’s the same every time – but it’s an amazing piece of….. doesn’t matter..”
Hi Garry and DrFumblefinger
DrFumblefinger, thank you for sharing your thoughts. I’m glad you enjoyed this POD.
Garry, your story is so funny yet so true. It sounds like my wife and your wife have very much in common and would probably get along great. These machines are just so amazing, I too could admire them for quite a long time. What can I say…maybe it’s a guy thing… boys and their toys, and all that. Hopefully one day you and I will be able to meet, ditch our wives, and go check out some more engineering marvels. Perhaps DrFumblefinger might want to join us.